The Meaning of 'Freedom'
by LazyConfectioner
Summary: It was a simple question yet it meant a lot. One-shot


**LazyConfectioner here~ Another give-a-try for a writing challenge. Take a guess for the theme.. Yep, it's the title again. I'll try as many challenges as I can, if you have an idea and want to share with me be my guest! There may be grammatical mistakes, I'm not a native english speaker. Please review, positive or negative, it helps to improve myself. Enjoy!**

 **One Piece belongs to Eiichiro Oda**

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It's been a year since Ace joined the Whitebeard Pirates and a few months since he became the 2nd Division Commander. Tonight they were partying. There wasn't any special occasion just that these loud pirates really loved drinking and are capable of making any excuse for partying. As usual in every party Ace was in his corner, eating and drinking alone. Don't get it wrong, he wasn't wary of them anymore, it's been long since Ace accepted them as family. It's just that the last time he joined the crew to drink, his cursed narcolepsy kicked in and when he woke up … No, no! He deleted this memory and he will NOT remember it. So his little corner was now the safest place on the deck. Thought that didn't last long, as always.

He was joined by the usual trio, Thatch, Marco, Izou. Also usually Haruta and rarely Vista but not today. From the silly smirk on Thatch's face Ace could easily understand that he was up to no good. Well, when was it that pompadour-haired bastard behaved well.

The night continued as four of them ate and drank and partied, all cheerful and drunk. Even though it was still dark Ace knew it was a new day, probably a few hours left 'till dawn. He should go to sleep, if Marco catches him asleep again during duty, not even his narcolepsy would save him this time. Just as he excused himself and was about to make way to his cabin he froze by a question thrown at him. He didn't need to turn around to face the owner of it. Only that hair freak could be this carefree to ask him that bloody damn question.

Before the question could be repeated again, in case he didn't hear it yet he did, Ace rushed to his cabin. Double locking it, he leaned on the wooden door trying to calm his fast beating heart down. While he was hurrying he failed to notice the confused faces he left behind.

After that night, the question resurfaced again and again in many drunk nights, each time Ace acted as if he didn't hear it and each time Thatch got more curious, Marco and Izou too though they weren't as obvious as Thatch. This routine of Ace and Thatch continued for a few months, worrying the other commanders about Ace's odd behaviour but their thoughts were left unspoken. Because unlike Thatch, they respected Ace's privacy and they were sure that when the time was right Ace would come to them. After all it took three months for that idiot narcoleptic pyromaniac to accept them as his family. With Ace they all learned to be patient, well except Thatch though.

On a particular night, while every crew member was drinking on lower deck, Ace sat in the shadows of upper deck with a bottle of sake and two red cups that he snatched from the kitchen accompanying him. Through the night he kept drinking from one cup while leaving the other one full, in front of him. As he continued drinking he gazed at the sea yet his mind was obviously somewhere else, as if he was reminiscing something. In his tranced state he didn't take notice of the trio sitting beside him, their concerning eyes on him, not until he heard the cursed question again.

"Hey Ace! Why do you have an S on your arm?"

It was a very innocent question yet it haunted Ace. It was the door opening to many nightmares Ace wanted to avoid. It brought so much pain yet he engraved it on his body. It was his way of reminding himself the truth, keeping him from forgetting. Locking his dark-filled heart with a letter in order to retain it from light, afraid of what it'll bring. Maybe it was because he was tired of hearing the same question over and over again or maybe because of the heavy sake he was drinking or maybe because of this particular day that Ace finally responded the question.

"It is the initial of my dead brother."

For a split second the music on The Moby Dick died, the drunk became sober again and the summer island they were docked at put all the winter islands to shame. As time continued to tick again, Ace realised the words spilling from his mouth, enable to stop, he went on with the flow.

"!t was ten years ago." He took a deep breath. " Ten years ago Sabo set sail. Breaking our promise to set sail together when we would be seventeen. It wasn't that he didn't respect our agreement, he had to break it. He had to break our promise in order to be free." Ace paused for a second pulling himself together and continued on.

"Sabo was practically a prisoner on the island we grew, chained down with it's morality. When we were six years old he found me digging through some trash. He asked me to be his friend and then we always sticked together. We both had the same dream so basically we were helping each other to achieve it. It was when Luffy arrived that we grew more than of companions and in the end we shared a sake cup, vowed to be brothers. None of us were blood-related but our bond to each other was thicker than blood. The three of us dreamed of, no, we longed for the sea. We longed for the day we would set sail, for the sea that would give us our freedom the dreamt of. The thought of us separating was sad but we would be always brothers,we would have each other no matter where were we. After all we exchanged the sake cups. Nothing could separate us."

Word by word Ace's voice got lower and slower, having difficulties to speak, forcing himself to voice out his memories, opening his already crumbling heart to his new brothers. Not even Luffy knew what he was about to say. He promised himself that he would never talk about it yet he was betrayed by his damn mouth.

Thatch, the ever cheerful idiot, with his now troubled face wanted to stop Ace. He never thought his silly question would be this deep. He was expecting something like: "The tattooist misspelled my name and messed up while correcting it." or "I was extremely drunk." Yeah, something like that. A dead brother wasn't even on his list of answers. As he was about to interrupt Ace, he was stopped by Marco. With only using his usually boring but now stern eyes Marco told, no, commanded Thatch. 'Even if Ace doesn't want to, he needs to talk and he knows this too. Don't you dare interrupt him. We all know this is difficult for him but he has to continued on.' How can the 1st Division Commander could express all this with only his eyes was something Thatch would never understand, maybe it was a side effect of his devil fruit.

After catching his breath Ace went on, never noticing the inner turmoil of Thatch or the silent talk of Marco.

"When we turned ten, Sabo's time ran out, he couldn't wait for us anymore. It was either he left now or never leave the island so Sabo took his chance. Nobody knows it but I was there too, watching him secretly as he set with his tiny boat. As the oldest I wanted to send him off to his new life." Suddenly Ace's voice got stifled, following with light small sobs yet he continued.

"I didn't know it! How could I knew it. We always lived in the forest, rarely visiting the city, Sabo was the smartest one so he taught us everything but he never said anything about that. Why didn't I know it!" His sobs were getting louder, voice getting thinner yet louder, tears forming in his eyes, threatening to fall down.

"That day, that moment, his ship… His ship was… It was destroyed by Tenryuubito!"

The trio gasped and panicked. Ace was now crying loudly, his tears were nothing but a wild waterfall yet forced himself to continue on.

"I will never forget it. Those bastards sink his ship just because it has in their way! They dyed the sea with his blood. I saw it all! Slowly the sea went from clear blue to a deep dark red. Yet they laughed at him! Sabo was nothing but a past time for them. He was my brother how dare they kill him, kill his dreams!"

Ace couldn't control himself anymore. His cries were louder than the music, his body shivering, endless tears flowing through his cheeks. He couldn't stop anymore. He felt like a desperate kid, he was disgusted by himself. He was weak and pathetic, an adult crying in front of others. He didn't deserve anything. Not the commander seat nor his new found family. He failed as an older brother. Dragged deeper in his mind, he continued to suffocate himself with dark thoughts.

Suddenly Ace felt warm. He was confused, where was this warmth was coming. It was soft and soothing, kind and heart-warming. Finally Ace returned to earth and realised he was pressed into someones chest, arms surrounding him, embracing him gently. Then he heard.

"Cry as much as you want. Don't keep it in. We are here for you, yoi."

And Ace let it go. He cried and cried till he fell asleep due to exhaustion. Marco carried Ace to his room and just like an older brother would do, tucked him into bed.

"You're a great brother Ace and I'm sure your younger one would agree with me."

Probably for the first time in his life Ace slept profoundly. No dream or nightmare, no waking up in the middle of night, nothing, he felt so light. That night Marco, Thatch and Izou accompanied the full sake cup until dawn broke, each making a promise to the sake cup in front of them .

Many crew members were curios about what happened but none of them dared to ask. Because they knew, from the looks of the trio they were getting, only death awaited them and this time not even the rock solid rule of the Whitebeard would protect them. The grand Whitebeard himself decided not to step in. Some things were meant to kept secret. As long as there wasn't any problem, his sons are free to do anything they desired. In the end he will be sitting in his throne-like chair if they needed him.

A few weeks later, during a usual party, Ace sat beside Thatch. His rum in his hand, eyes looking at the sea, getting curious looks from the said person.

"Do you know Thatch? I think Sabo didn't regret anything. After all he got what he desired most."

Now Thatch was questioning Ace's sanity. Did this Sabo person, his brother, deserved death. What the hell in seven seas was Ace talking about. His thought were cut short.

"Sabo desired freedom more than anyone else. He desired to set sail, to the sea, the only place on earth where no one could control him, where he could live his own life as he wants, being free from everything. If that day he never set sail, today he would be nothing but a living corpse, someones puppet. At least now he is free and I'm sure Mother Sea is looking after him well. I think after so many years I finally understand him. Rather than to be chained, I'd prefer to die and be free too." Ace finished his words with a big toothy grin, then taking a big gulp from his rum. He sat up and joined an eating contest that was going on, he was hungry.

Thatch being shocked was a big underestimating, no word could describe what he was going through. Just a few days ago Ace was grieving, now he was smiling about it. Damn it, who fucked up his drink!

"Kids tend to grow quickly Thatch, you better get used it or you'll lose your sanity." He heard a manly yet elegant chuckle. Damn that kimono bastard was mocking him. Wait till he hides all of his cosmetics. Deciding put his plan in action he made way to the cabins, not wanting to lose anytime.

"Well, well. Looks like everything is back to normal again, yoi."


End file.
